A Rose With Thorns
by Subaku No Paine
Summary: Neji is rich, successful and engaged...his best friend, TenTen is the complete opposite and hopelessly in love with him. And there was always the her... Can this work? NejiTen! AU. UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

**A Rose with Thorns**

By Paine

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She supposed she looked all right. Not gorgeous, but not hideous either, yes, she decided finally, her appearance ranked somewhere in between the two extremes. The tangle of dark curls that lay on the top of her head had been tamed as much as have could have been expected, resting now as two buns on her head; the thousands of freckles that were scattered across her face had been concealed by the use of quite a large amount of powder. Her final concern lay in the blue glasses that were at the moment propped against the base of her nose.

Should she not wear them and reveal for once the startling brown eyes that were so often hidden or wear them and reduce the chance of her falling and making a complete fool of herself.

_Does it matter Tenten, you'll never look as good as her._

A grim thought perhaps. But it was a truthful one all the same. And it was one that Tenten forced herself to come to terms with almost everyday. It was the reason that she had spent the entire day yesterday looking around Tokyo for something that actually fit her lanky frame, and the reason that she had spent the last four or so hours trying to force her untidy curls into something that Nihon Weekly had claimed was this month's hottest hair style.

She was in love with her best friend.

It was a simple statement, one that she felt the whole world must know by now, well the whole world except for the one person who should know. Him.

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And then there was **her**. Why, was there always a **her** ? This **her** however proved to be quite a pest because quite frankly this **her** was perfect. This **her** was, as all the magazines felt like constantly reminding Tenten, one the most successful and beautiful ninja of this century. And as an added insult, the **her** was engaged to the him. A final sigh and a groan and the glasses were back up on Tenten's face and the hair had freed itself from its constraints and it had just suddenly occurred to Tenten that the itch she was feeling on her face meant that she was probably allergic to the skin powder. And at this rate her clothes would tear by the time she got there and well why should she bother?

_Why did she bother anyway?_

Tenten asked herself when, true to form the skirt ripped right down the middle. Why, she could stay home and finish the story that she had started on a band of ninja assassins for work or finish the book she had just started or learn a new weapon's technique, or well do anything at all she wanted and think of an excuse to tell Neji about why she wasn't there in the morning.

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It was a plan then. Yes, she had read about the flu going around somewhere and Hinata at work did have it last week, and staying at home would been better than subjecting herself to the torment of listening to the **her** ramble on about some obnoxious topic, something that was always associated with these occasions. The clothes had already been discarded and the bathwater had been set, when a loud knock had come rapping at her door. Tenten personally disliked disruption due to an incident she had had as a child where distractions ruled her life, causing her grades to slip in the Ninja Academy. . But this one she would tolerate, because this message belonged to Neji.

After reading the piece of parchment handed to her by a thickset man, Tenten knew that she wouldn't be able to stay home at all. You see she had just gotten a vivid reminder of just why she bothered.

_Tenten, I've just found out from Lee's friend at the academy, they say that I've got the award hands down, can you believe it, just like you said. I can't wait to see you there.  
Love from, Neji_

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The atmosphere in the room was absolutely stifling. Inside had been filled with aristocrats and feudal lords, until the feeling of superiority could be felt in even the smallest corner.

"Tenten, my dear, I had begun to wonder if you were coming at all"

The voice belonged to the **her**, of course, (who from now on shall be referred to as Sakura), and was accompanied by the never faltering smile and laugh, both of which had become defining characteristics for her.

"Well, I'm sorry to be late, you see I had a bit of trouble with my outfit" Tenten regretted saying the words the moment they left her lips, for at the same moment, Sakura's emerald eyes had begun to travel downwards, taking in every detail of Tenten's appearance. Since Tenten's previous choice of clothing had been...destroyed, she had been forced to acquire a new one, quickly, from the only store open at eleven pm on a Sunday night. Needless to say, Tenten wouldn't make the best-dressed list tonight, even if she hadn't worn her glasses.

"I can see that" Sakura replied dryly as she turned up her nose with distaste. "You could have at least made an attempt to dress up Tenten, at least for Neji" The smile reappeared, and after a few more comments on her own gown, Sakura seemed to grow tired of Tenten's lack of enthusiasm for the subject and made up an excuse on why she had to be somewhere else at this very moment.

Tenten couldn't honestly say that she missed her.

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Again she found herself alone in her corner, clutching the drink in her hand a bit tighter than was really necessary. No one was paying any attention to her, which she had grown accustomed to. No one ever noticed her except for when she fell down or broke something, which happened a bit too often. But at least her corner was comfortable, and her drink wasn't too bad, and soon Neji would get his award and make his speech and she would be free to go home and wait for him to tell her about the next event that needed her attendance.

Tenten had learnt from her experiences in the past that the only way to survive these events was to remind herself of the glorious feeling you got when the entire thing was over.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have you attention please"

Tenten's thoughts were interrupted by the voice. She had jumped and her drink had spilt down the front of her clothes, and on the back of the man in front of her.

"We will now be announcing the winner of the most promising young athlete category"

The atmosphere of importance was replaced almost at once by one of anticipation.

"And the winner is..." The bodiless voice paused. "Neji Hyuuga"

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The room broke out in applause, and a stoic yet obviously pleased Neji could be seen as he collected a trophy from a very frail looking female ninja. For a brief moment Tenten's eyes met his, and her stomach fluttered, just as it always did. It would never cease to amaze her just how he could always make her feel this way with the slightest glance, even after all of these years. Neji, still beaming thanked his family and friends, the academy and his fans and of course his fiancée, he then descended from the stage. And it was over, the now familiar feeling of inadequacy washed over Tenten as people began to disappear from the room. She supposed she should follow suit.

But maybe...

There he was, with the **her** hooked onto his arm. They were deep in conversation, and then, without warning they kissed.

Tenten guessed her heart could be found somewhere on the floor at the moment. But instead of whining about it like she wanted, she decided to suck it up and go home.

She hoped he noticed she was gone.

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So that was it, that was the reason that she had wasted all of that time, for a two second glance and a three second mention in his speech. It was pathetic really, Tenten thought as she dug around her kitchen for some comfort food. She behaved more like a pet than a best friend.

She was pathetic. Waiting around for an engaged man when she could probably find a single one if she tried. She had been lying to herself, of course. She couldn't move on, she had been stuck in this position for five years.

Chocolate, yes chocolate would make it all go away. This wasn't the first time she had felt this way and it wouldn't be the last. But as she bit into the chocolate Tenten knew, that as pathetic as it was she would never trade in her two second glances or her three second mentions for a less pathetic existence.

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Disclaimer

I do not own Naruto. Review? I'll continue if I get at least ten reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Rose With Thorns**

By Paine

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So the chocolate hadn't worked. Tenten had realized _that_ the moment she had awoken that morning feeling just as depressed as she remembered feeling the night before.  
Also she fallen asleep on her kitchen floor, leaving her this morning with a throbbing pain in the back of her neck, and she was certain that although she had spent most of the morning retrieving chocolate wrappers from her hair, there were still some trapped in her buns.

And she _still_ had to go to work. And tonight she was supposed to be fitted for her bridesmaid dress.

Yes it seemed that God really loved her.

Perhaps she wouldn't have been so moody today if she hadn't decided to walk to work, but she had never passed the driving exam, being too frightened to try after the Hanabi Hyuuga had told her about one of her cousins who had ended up in the hospital because of his jerky actions behind the wheel. A disgrace to the honorable family, of course…to Neji…Haha…

She usually didn't mind walking, it was good exercise, but today she hated it. Today was Monday and Neji was getting married on Sunday. And today as Tenten walked her way to work, she felt as though each step brought her closer to that unavoidable day.

She wished it would rain; if she got wet, maybe she'd catch a cold and die.

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"Good morning sunshine" a sarcastic voice greeted her as she wandered into the office. "What's with the sad face?"

"It's not raining" Tenten said to the gorgeous oriental woman, the owner of the voice.

"Why would you want it to rain?" Most people would look at the question, as just an innocent question, but Tenten knew better. Ino was the writer for the gossip column, which made her, incredibly nosy.

"I like the rain"

"No one likes the rain"

"I love the rain"

Ino shrugged. "I made you a cup a tea" She pushed the beverage under Tenten's nose. Tenten wrenched her face with disgust and tried to expel the overwhelming smell of peppermint from her nostrils, knowing her the "tea" was probably laced with some sort of truth medicine. Damn Tsunade and her drug store…Business was booming.

"I hate tea"

"But you love the rain" Ino raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, but removed the cup.

She followed Tenten to her desk and stared at her through her baby blue eyes until she sat down.

"I came by your apartment last night" She said finally as she sat at her respective desk.

"That's nice"

"You weren't there"

So that was the point of the whole tea act.

"Really?" Tenten had been working for the Konoha newspaper for nine months and during that time, she had learnt never to tell Ino anything about your life, you see if you did, it usually ended up on page seven of the Konoha Scoop, next to the horoscope section.

"Don't play with me Tenten"

"I'm not playing- fine if you must know my mother was- sick"

"Your mother in Tsuchi no Kuni?"

"Yes my _only_ mother the one in the Land of Earth…"

"Strange how you managed to get from Konoha to Tsuchigakure and back in just one night, seeing as you can't drive and there happens to be a million mile difference between the two places" Hyperbole…Ino's nickname…

Damn.

Tenten glanced at the woman in absolute amazement.

"You see Tenten" she glanced at the brunette over the top of her very own cup of tea. "When you work as a reporter for 4 years, you learn some things"

"Obviously" Tenten muttered and began the daily hunt for her pen.

"Under your dictionary love, so you were going to tell me where you were"

"I was not going to tell you anything"

"Why not?"

"Because when I tell you anything you always write it up in your stupid column"

"That was ages ago"

"It was last month and how the bloody hell did you know where my pen was"

Ino frowned. " That was different, everyone wanted- needed to know when the Hyuuga-Haruno wedding was, and I was looking for some string"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "I was at some awards ceremony"

"The Annual Sports Ninja Awards, how did _you _get invited to _that?_"

"Neji invited me"

"Ohhh"

"What"

"Is that why you were so put out this morning, didn't he look at you or something"

"What do you mean…"

"Please, we all know you have a _huuuggggeeee_ crush on the guy"

Tenten felt her face grow hot. "I don't understand what you are talking…who's we?"

"We is me" Ino stood up "And of course I know the way your eyes glaze over when you talk about him and well the hearts next to his name and doodles on most of your possessions was also a give away"

"I would appreciate it if you'd keep away from my desk"

Ino laughed. "Don't worry I won't tell, it's a wonder if he doesn't already know, and the people from the office sent a message––something about tardiness… they said you can take the driving exam tomorrow night"

Tenten had the grace to turn beet red at the reminder of her repetitive failure at the damn test…she just got jittery behind the wheel…

And with that she sauntered over to a girl named Hoshi, her cup of tea in hand.

She left Tenten feeling very stupid, but still she had a point. It was a wonder if he didn't know.

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Orange is such a graceless color.

It's not the first hue that comes to mind when you are picking the tone for your bridesmaid's gowns, or any gowns to be honest.

You see orange flatters no one.

This fact seemed to have slipped Haruno Sakura's mind, because _her_ bridesmaids' gowns were orange.

It probably wouldn't have mattered if they had been a different color. With the magnitudes of silk flowers and beads that decorated the dress they had been doomed from the very first hem.

"Isn't this woman a designer?" said a woman who Tenten knew was Kira Hyuuga, Neji's manager. "So then why are these things so hideous"

"I think she designs handbags" Tenten replied, stifling a giggle.

But Kira had a point, other than being the ugliest things ever mended together by thread, none of the dresses fit. Tenten's dress was about eight inches higher than where it was supposed to be, Kira's was practically falling off of her, and the other bridesmaid, a woman called Nana hadn't even been able to get hers over her head.

Kira was now swearing, very loudly about this fact to the only one who'd listen, herself.

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"Here I am!" came a voice, accompanied by its smile. It was the **her**, of course, a good twenty minutes late.

"You're late." Kira had taken a break from her ranting to remind the designer of her tardiness.

"Oh am I?" Sakura glanced at a silver wristwatch on her hand. "Well, it's not as if any of you have any where else to be"

Tenten rolled her eyes and focused her glance to her feet. Beside her she heard Nana whisper an expletive under her breath and Kira resume her cursing from across the room, not so inaudibly.

"Well let's see these dresses, I made them myself you know, down to the last thread"

"It shows" Nana said.

"Yes, I hope it does" Sakura clasped her hands together dramatically, obviously interpreting the comment the wrong way.

"Everyone asked me, Sakura why use orange, no one else does, but I said well I'll start a new trend then, right!?" she laughed again, but soon stopped noticing she was the only one in the room doing so.

"So I'm sensing a problem?"

"Are you blind?" Kira exploded at once. "Your dresses don't fit!"

Sakura's green eyes began to finally take in the appearances of her bridesmaids. "Oh, well, I was thinking that we'd have to make a few adjustments- Tenten did you grow?"

"Not ten inches in the last month"

Sakura frowned. "Well" she whipped out her cell phone from a pink handbag. And with a slight shove on her part, she had pushed Tenten in the nearest gas lamp _accidentally _setting Tenten's dress on fire.

Sakura started screaming, but soon Nana had extinguished the fire with her oversized trenchcoat.

"I am so sorry" Sakura replied, she hadn't sounded very sorry and it really didn't help that she was smiling her patented "Sakura Smile" when she'd said it, her cell phone mysteriously vanishing into her bag again.

"I suppose I might have to make you a new dress Tenten"

"You might?" It was Kira, she was obviously becoming less and less impressed by Sakura by the second. "You set the dress on fire, and, mind you, I think it looks better now"

Nana laughed.

Sakura's smile flickered but refused to vanish. "And I suppose that either of you think that you can do better, I am the most coveted designer in all Konoha, and Tenten loves my designs don't you Tenten?"

Three pairs of eyes rounded on Tenten, whose dress now barely went mid thigh.

"Well, I…"

She was saved from having to answer by a figure that had just appeared at the doorway.

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"What's with all the noise?"

"Neji" Sakura bounded over to him immediately. "Your manager and what is she––cousin––are insulting my dresses"

Her droning reminded Tenten of a child who had just seen her favorite doll destroyed and was telling the teacher about it.

"And tell them Neji, tell them that I am the most praised and respected designer in all Konoha!"

"You design handbags for God's sake!"

Neji's eyes scanned the room, the antique ceiling and mirrors and the three women, who dresses lay in three different states, Kira's whose lay in a ball in the corner, Nana's whose was being supported by the wearer herself, and Tenten's whose dress had scorch marks all over it and was significantly shorter than everyone else's.

Tenten's eyes found that familiar spot on the floor again as Neji's eyes took in her appearance.

Finally he turned to his soon to be wife. "Maybe we should all just go home"

"Best thing I've heard all night" Kira was gone before anyone else could get a word in.

"I agree" Nana grabbed the edges of her gown and walked over to a room in the corner and slammed the door shut. She really didn't need to since she could be heard quite clearly muttering from the other side anyways.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and just continued smiling. "Come along then Neji" she grabbed his arm "I'm very tired, now that I think about it"

"Actually" Neji retracted his arm from her grasp. "I want to talk to Tenten for a bit"

"Oh well" Sakura's smile refused to be put out. "Later then, goodnight Tenten"

"Goodnight" Tenten replied still not looking up from the ground.

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She heard Neji's footsteps drawing nearer, her own breath quickened. And it didn't help that he was playing around in her hair.

"Do you know that you have chocolate wrappers in your hair"

"Really?" Tenten felt her face grow hot, she still felt the necessity to stare at the floor.

"Yes really" she could hear a hint of laughter in his otherwise quite monotone voice.

"I fell asleep on my kitchen floor last night"

"Did you?"

"Yes, and it's not funny, I think I hurt my neck because of it"

"Is that why you're not looking at me?"

He wasn't helping matters.

"Why do I have to look at you Hyuuga, are you that special?"

"I think so"

"I know you do- hey did you know your wife burnt my dress"

"I can see that, I can also see that you haven't gained a pound since the Ninja Academy…eat something, won't you?"

"You little liar, I've gained ten"

"Maybe your hair grew"

Her eyes darted upwards, meeting his.

"There, now I feel special" He grinned.

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"Well, that's that, see you around Hyuuga-san, Tenten, I read your story today"

"Yeah?" Tenten had returned to the former habit of staring at walls now.

"Yeah, really very good, goodnight you two"

The familiar bang and Tenten knew that Nana was gone too.

"Go get changed" Neji prodded her in the direction of the closet, which had served as a restroom this night.

"Don't you have to go home, your girlfriend is what was it, _tired_"

"I'm walking you home"

"Neji, you don't need to"

"Of course I do, I need to protect you from any of those delinquents that roam the streets"

"I live a street away, can take care of myself, _and_ you're not very good protection; I remember when I was seven and that girl tried to steal my practice wooden katana and you ran home"

"Only for reinforcements, and besides how old was I, _seven_, now go get changed before I change my mind­"

"I wouldn't want that" Tenten walked over to the direction of the room, and shut the door behind her. Damn, Neji always had to make things so complicated.

"Oh––and besides, I didn't win the best athlete award for nothing…" Ha! The guy was talking to himself…Did her words have an affect of some sort on him, maybe? Did he care what she said?

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"What I don't understand is, why you just won't take the driving test"

"Shows how much you know Hyuuga, I am taking it tomorrow"

"Finally"

"The point is I'm going to take it"

The lift stopped and the two got out. They walked in silence to Tenten's door.

"About that story you wrote"

"What about it"

"You've done better"

"Thank you Neji your opinion means _so_ much to me"

"Now where's the Tenten that I know and love––she would have slapped me at least five times tonight…or at least _tried_ to…"

"She's tired Neji"

"I'll bet"

More silence. Tenten stared at her shoes again.

She felt Neji touch her hair, which was now out, the curls tumbling onto her shoulders. When did it come out?

"I liked it better when it was shorter"

The scent of his cologne imprisoned her. She could feel the warmth from his body on her skin. She could almost feel his heart beating.

They had stood this close before, but somehow, it had never been like this.

Her eyes darted upwards, meeting his, and once she met his gaze, she felt the will to look away leave her. She saw his face drawing nearer. She forced her eyes closed, and braced herself for what was to come.

His breath was on her face, fogging up her glasses. A hand, not hers, brushed her cheek.

This was it.

A second passed, and then another, and soon many seconds had passed, and nothing had happened.

Cautiously, Tenten opened one eye, and then the other one followed. Neji was no longer standing in front of her. He was now facing the lifts, running a hand through his mane of brown hair.

"Goodnight Tenten" he muttered after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

Tenten managed to scavenge her voice from her stomach. "Goodnight".

He was gone in an instant, leaving a very confused girl standing in her doorway, desperately trying to hold onto the last remains of his cologne.

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To those who reviewed, thank you very much.

**REVIEW SOME MORE! Next chapter will come sooner the larger the amount of reviews!**

**By the way, guys…I've become slightly more demanding…how about 20 reviews this time? I'm looking forward to it! And this story will be on hold for a few weeks because I'm working on other projects…If I get more than thirty reviews, I'll give you faster updates for all of the upcoming chapters, with some conditions. But they'll be smaller ones…maybe 15 reviews per chapter…hows that sound?**

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Disclaimer

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters... except for Kira and Nana, they're MINE!

By the way, guys…I've become slightly more demanding…how about 20 reviews this time? I'm looking forward to it! And this story will be on hold for a few weeks


	3. Chapter 3

**A Rose With Thorns**

By Paine

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It wasn't as though finding Yukarin Tenten fully awake under her polyester quilts at such an obscene hour was a rare occasion.

It wasn't.

She could often be found lying awake in her bed a night staring at the white washed ceiling above her, trying to make out the answers to the universe in the timber.

What was different about this time however was that for once, Tenten was staring at her ceiling, happily. Well, perhaps happy was too strong a word but there was definitely a bubble of contentment swelling in her chest this night.

Neji had almost kissed her.

She was certain of it. And she wasn't certain about a lot of things.

Sure, it hadn't been like in her thousands of fantasies, where angels would sing and shout their blessings from above and bells would toll and somewhere fireworks would go off. But she supposed in these occasions one couldn't be choosy.

And it was still almost kissed. It hadn't been the real event. Those fireworks could still be waiting to go off.

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Why had he stopped anyway?

The voice that belonged to reality, the one that only appeared from out of the depths of Tenten's mind on such occasions was of course back again. And it hadn't lost its ability to force her mind into a state of self-criticism either.

In her head she immediately began to list the reasons why he could have terminated his idea to kiss her. Had it been her breath? Her hair? Of course it was her hair, it was always her hair, wasn't it?

Or maybe it had been due to the fact that it was her. Tenten.

Somehow she felt herself leaning towards the last reason.

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But they had kissed before. Sure she had been six, it had only lasted about two seconds and afterwards Neji had claimed it to be the most disgusting moment in his life. The fact remained they had kissed.

But one almost kiss doesn't mean that he's going to cancel his wedding, Tenten.

Reality was just rubbing it in her face now.

So what if it hadn't been a real kiss, so what if it hadn't been anything at all, so what if Neji had been standing that close to her because he had liked the smell of her shampoo or the aroma of her fabric softener. So what?

The point was that for a moment she had felt that after years of lusting after her best friend for a moment that maybe he was lusting after her too.

And it had felt pretty damn good.

Maybe you should just go to sleep.

For once she and reality could agree on something. The more Tenten pondered about what exactly had happened, the smaller the happy bubble in her chest had become.

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What the hell were you thinking?

Neji hadn't gone very far. In fact he hadn't really gone at all. He had just climbed outside Tenten's bedroom, up, onto her balcony.

He really couldn't tell you why.

But it was there he had stayed for the past few hours pacing absently mindedly and muttering nonsense to himself.

He knew that he must look like a lunatic to those watching him from the streets a few stories below him, he knew he should care but he really did feel like a lunatic at the moment and if someone were to call the mental asylum right now, he couldn't say that he would blame them.

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What had he been thinking? He had almost kissed her. Her. Tenten.

Was he insane?

You don't try to passionately make out with your best friend. Neji muttered between strides. You don't. It was some unwritten rule he knew that.

And you especially don't try it when you have a fiancée.

Luckily he had stopped himself before anything could happen. But still if he hadn't stopped, would she have stopped him?

Was she mental as well?

He knew what the solution was. He should barge in there right now and demand an explanation, or maybe he should give her one. Whatever, something more should be said.

But his feet refused to discontinue their pacing and he had to say he was impressed. He had always had relatively intelligent feet.

And he couldn't trust himself to be around Tenten right now anyways. Whatever it was that had made him try to kiss her the first time might come back again.

And he didn't need that.

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"Yes, I'm here for the driving test"

"What's your name dear?"

"Tenten Yukarin"

"Hold on just a second"

The lady at the front desk was ancient. Tenten was surprised that she wasn't falling apart at her seams.

She was a comfort in a way how ever. She did make Tenten feel like she wasn't the oldest person in the world right now. Which after looking around the room with the other test takers, Tenten had to say was an accomplishment.

The others, were practically children. Probably just out from the Academy. It made Tenten feel incredibly stupid for not taking the test with the rest of her age group.  
For not trying to be normal.

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"You're late"

Well of course I am, I can't drive like the rest of the world.

"Sorry, I had problems getting a train"

"You're number two hundred and seven, go straight into room seven, you're tester is Uchiha Sasuke"

She thrust a plastic card into Tenten's palm, and stared at her crossly, until she had shut the door of room seven behind her.

"Tenten-san?"

Tenten jumped at the voice. "Did I frighten you?"

An pale hand was now thrust at her. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke"

"Pleasure" Tenten replied but didn't take his hand.

She didn't like him, for he had scared her with his stupid smooth tone and booming voice.

"Well, is the first time you are taking this test?"

Katie shook her head and held up for fingers, bashful. She didn't see why he was asking her this, the lady from the front desk had written all of it down on the sheet of paper that he was holding his hands.

"Well let's get started, do you know where Ichiraku's is?"

Tenten nodded.

"Well concentrate for me on getting there" He lead her to the car, holding the door open for her on the driver's side before heading to the passenger seat.

Tenten immediately clamped her eyes shut. Okay Tenten just concentrate. You won't loose your head. You won't loose your head.

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She felt dizzy and then heavy as her heart sank through her feet. She'd opened her eyes as soon as she'd gotten into the accursed metal contraption to avoid extra casualties. She looked over at the Uchiha.

"Did I make it? I mean, was that good?"

"Yes"

"Do I still have my head? I'm not dead?"

"Yes but part of your elbow's gone…this is why you don't stick your arm out the window…"

"Are you serious"

His laughter answered her. She really didn't like him. He obviously didn't understand her fear of dieing.

"There you are" He quickly signed a piece of paper on his clipboard before handing it to her. "Give this to the lady at the front desk. She'll give you your license. 

"You can now legally drive."

"That's it?"

"That's it"

Well that hadn't been that hard, it just went to show that she could be good if she put her mind to something.

"Tenten?"

"Yes"

"I was wondering if you would like to go out with me, sometime"

"I don't understand"

"Would you go to dinner with me tomorrow"

Hell no.

"I'm sorry I think I'm busy, maybe some other time"

"Am I coming on too strong?"

This one was a genius. Since when was a simple 'I'm busy' not good enough anymore?

"No it's not that, it's just that…"

"You have a boyfriend?"

"No, but…"

"A child…"

"No…I––"

"Well then what?"

"I'm busy"

Great , that was really convincing.

"You know you have really beautiful eyes"

"What"

"Your eyes, they are gorgeous"

This guy was something else. Her eyes. Now she knew he was lying. He might as well have said your hair is like a cascading waterfall or something along those lines.

"Thank you but…"

"It's just one date"

"Fine" she sighed, knowing that he wouldn't soon go away.

"Fantastic" his tanned face split into a smile. "Tomorrow night at nine then, meet me here"

"Sure" she knew her force lacked the enthusiasm required to make it sound convincing, but Sasuke obviously didn't notice so why should she worry?

He was gone a second later.

Okay, concentrate Tenten, home, home.

It wasn't much longer after that when Tenten decided to take the train instead, calling up a towing agency to pick up her rented car.

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Authors Note:

Thank you again for your support. I don't know Tenten's last name…so I used her seiyu's nickname…Yes, Sasuke's a little…"out there" in this story but…eh…whatevs…  
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except the old lady at the front desk...


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